After a months-long search, San Diego’s mayor tapped a familiar face to be the city’s next police chief.
At a news conference the morning of Thursday, March 21, Mayor Todd Gloria announced his choice of San Diego Assistant Chief Scott Wahl, a 25-year veteran of the Police Department who has been assistant chief since September.
Gloria said Wahl would “hit the ground running on Day 1.”
“I believe he is the right person to continue keeping you and the people of the city of San Diego safe,” Gloria said.
Gloria pointed to concerns some of the city’s communities have expressed about policing.
“As mayor, it is imperative to me that we remain committed to the core principles of integrity, professionalism and unwavering dedication to public safety while also being inclusive and building trust with all of our communities,” Gloria said.
“Assistant Chief Wahl gets that,” Gloria said. “That’s part of why I’ve chosen to appoint him.”
Wahl’s appointment must be confirmed by the City Council. It was not immediately clear when that vote will happen.
Wahl listed three priorities: establishing trust, which he called “Priority 1”; employee and leadership development; and streamlining the department.
“Without trust, nothing else matters in this business,” he said.
Wahl said he plans to invest in developing the workforce, noting that the department is looking at “an unprecedented amount” of turnover in the next two years.
He said the department is “holding onto a decades-old organizational structure, and it has served us well over the years, but it has run its course.”
He said he plans to make the organization “more effective, more efficient and more adaptive to the needs of our community, not only for today but also for tomorrow.”
During his career, Wahl has worked a variety of assignments, including department spokesman for three years, serving as captain of the Northern Division, which includes many of the city’s largest beach communities, and helping the department stand up its Neighborhood Policing Division, which addresses challenges including homelessness.
“I love this city and I love this Police Department,” Wahl said. “I am here because I want to make a difference in this Police Department.”
Wahl, a fourth-generation San Diegan and the son of a San Diego police officer, said he has a “vested interest” in the success of the city and the department.
“Doing this job is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he said. “To be here today as the next chief of the San Diego Police Department — I cannot put into words how honored and proud I am.”
Current Chief David Nisleit will retire in June due to his participation in the city’s deferred retirement option program, known as DROP. The program allows some city employees to collect pension in a retirement if they agree to retire within five years of the date they enroll.
Wahl’s nomination follows a four-month nationwide search for the city’s next police leader. The search included a series of meetings in which residents could voice their thoughts on the department’s next chief, development of a survey that collected similar information and several interview s with community, city and law enforcement leaders. The city said 56 people applied for the job.
— San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report. ◆
